Archive: October, 2009
John Quinn, Inquirer Staff Writer
Jimmy Clausen proved last week that he has the nads to play with the big boys, bringing the Irish to the brink of a tie with USC on the last play of the game.
He would have cemented the lead for the Heisman if that ill-conceived last play had somehow connected for a touchdown. Maybe the right play was called and he threw to the wrong guy, because Kyle Rudolph, split wide left, was open in the back of the end zone.
The same play worked to beat Purdue, but on that day, Rudolph was the slot receiver who caught the TD. This time, it was Duval Kumara, but he slipped on the route and the rest is history.
John Quinn, Inquirer Staff Writer
This is your life, Jimmy Clausen.
This is your job, Charlie Weis.
Clausen has been harassed and demeaned by USC the past two years. Crushed both in South Bend and Los Angeles. Matt Barkley is his California wannabe, but you would have hardly noticed Clausen coming into this season. The hype, which tried to destroy Clausen in his first two seasons, has anointed Barkley, who is a sure-fire NFL quarterback some day but has accomplished just one fourth-quarter comeback at Ohio State to show for his exalted status.
John Quinn, Inquirer Staff Writer
Jimmy Clausen did it again. Drive downfield, throw the go-ahead touchdown pass in the final minute. Kyle Rudolph, in the end zone, looking like a man against boys.
This week, it was against Washington, the conquerors of USC. Last week, Purdue. The only loss was to Michigan, and Clausen brought them back in the final quarter only to be beaten by the mercurial freshman wiz Tate Fourcier. (An aside, please. Fourcier is so clever, it is mind-boggling, Against Michigan State Saturday, he was exhausted as the clock ticked down. Fourcier was tackled near the 10-yard line and the game would have ended because Michigan had no timeouts left, but he somehow creatively fumbled the ball out of bounds, shades of Matt Leinart. If he didn't mean to fumble, then he sure is lucky.)
So the nation was mesmerized once again by Fourcier. But it was just an appetizer. Cue Clausen and the QB collision with Washington's Jake Locker (second aside, Brent Musberger fawned all over Locker Saturday night while doing the Miami-Oklahoma game. He couldn't have been looking live at the South Bend game because no matter how good Locker was, it was Clausen's magic that won the game for Notre Dame.
His grandfather used to listen to the radio and yell out to his son playing on the hardscrabble streets of Corona, Queens: “Bill Shakespeare just threw another touchdown pass!”
His father used to listen to the transistor radio and yell out to his son playing for Stony Brook on Long Island: “Joe Montana just threw another touchdown pass!”
He listens to the radio and yells out to his son watching Phineas and Ferb on a 46-inch HDTV: “Dayne Crist just threw another touchdown pass!” Meanwhile, Jack, 9, will not be a fourth generation member of the Subway Alumni. Reach John at jquinn@phillynews.com.
